NEWS ARCHIVE

Owner of home in major disrepair likely facing new fines from Daytona Beach

Code enforcement officials in Daytona Beach will ask a special magistrate to fine a property owner $1,000 a day and/or give them a demolition permit to take down a home that is in a dramatic state of disrepair.

Owner of home in major disrepair likely facing new fines from Daytona Beach

John Burch said his home on Berkshire Road off Mason Avenue is a work in progress, but residents and city officials haven't seen progress for years.

"That man right there has a vendetta against me," Burch said in court Tuesday.

Burch accused code enforcement officers of unfairly singling him out, even though he admits there is a lot of junk in his yard, including debris out front. Inside the home, which doesn't have a roof or most of its walls, there are vague signs of rehabilitation.

Burch signed an agreement with the city in January that work on the house would be done by July. He claimed personal troubles interfered and his permit expired. He was hauled before a special magistrate and accused of doing work without a permit, but the magistrate saw no evidence of that and refused to penalize Burch.

However, even the magistrate believes refurbishment is a lost cause.

"I don't understand, quite frankly, why the city hasn't torn this building down," the magistrate said in court Tuesday.

Code enforcement officials said Burch has been granted several permits since 2012, but the site is still in shambles.

"We get a complaint, we go out, we investigate or, if it's visibility noticeable, we do what we have to do," Stenson said.

Burch insisted that he's going to finish the project, but code enforcement officials said they're not finished taking action against him. They'll file new violations that could come with hefty fines and ultimately a demolition order.